I have a dilemma and would like to get some opinions. I bought a Skeeter ZX21 off of the forum a couple of years ago. It's got the 250 SHO and is a great fishing boat. However, this boat does not excel when I try to pull my 9 year old around the lake on a tube. The boat rides nose high and does not like to go slow. If I trim the motor all the way down, I can see over the top of the nose at about 19-20 mph. But, the boat is plowing the entire time.

My wife wants to buy a ski boat, but I REALLY don't want two boats. Are there any boat brands out there that ride flatter at 17-19 MPH? What I would really like to do is find a boat that is "good enough" to ski/tube behind 15-20 days a year but has the primary purpose to bass fish.

I'm not really into fish and ski combos. So, my first preference is to find the right bass boat that will suffice for water toys. If that's not possible, I would bite the bullet and get a used ski boat.

Keep the rig and buy a used jet flea for towing tubes.

Just pull the 9 year old at 35mph so you can stay on plane.

I have a Nitro 929 225 Merc. I tow my kids in the tube, about the slowest I can go is 19 to 20 trimmed all the way down. I use this attachment and added pool noodles to the rope so it doesn't catch the prop.

http://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/hydroslide-1-person-rope-harness#repChildCatid=200154

My wife tried forever to get a "fish & ski" boat. I always argued that we could ski out of my bass boat way better than I could fish out of a ski boat! That being said: my old Ranger 361v spent countless hours pulling my 3 boys on skis and tubes. That heavy Ranger probably would run on plane a little slower than your rig but I think you can invest in a different "backup" prop and fix the problem. I had a 4 blade that would plane off pretty good and run relatively slow pulling a tube. I also had a ski pylon that went into the back seat hole and braced off the transom. Simple rig that "quick connected" with a couple pins. Got the rope above the motor and further forward than simple tying a rope to the transom. Think about stepping down several sizes in pitch with more blades. Bet it works for you. Will it tend to hit the rev limiter when not pulling a load? If you let it. Talk to Steves Custom Propeller. He's a wealth of prop knowledge and does not simply "guess". Good luck.

Smaller bass boat. I'd try another prop for pulling a tube

Won't be pretty and you will lose a little top end speed, but you can always put a fin on the back... Will jump straight on plain. Good one for that size motor will run you about 120. Can always take it off when bass fishing and put in on the few times a year your're pulling a tube...

A fin will let you get on plane at slower speeds. There are a bunch of different brands now that you don't even have to drill any holes.

Get a different prop for pulling tubes

my brother used to pull me around going about 35-40... pretty sure he did it on purpose.

Jet ski for pulling tube and skiers
saves your boat and gets you more fishing time but.... the one we had several years back sure liked gas

I just change my prop for skiing/tubing trips. The extra prop gives me a spare if something happens to my primary prop.

I bought a ski boat also. With my kids friends wanting to go also, it was just not right not having enough room and taking everything out all the time. My wife and kids love it. Storage is the only thing I don't like having to pay for.

`I run a Merc Fury 25 on my 250 SHO/Legend rig and it pulls tubers great. I do pull them at 25-35 mph but it works great. When I get up to 35 my boys start screaming like little girls tho...

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